Kejriwal seeks appointment with Union Home Minister

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday sought an appointment with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to urge him to ensure implementation of the Supreme Court orders on governance in Delhi.

"MHA has advised LG to ignore that part of SC order, which restricts LG's powers to only 3 subjects. V dangerous that central govt advising LG not to follow Hon'ble SC's orders. Have sought time from Sh Rajnath Singh Ji to urge him to follow Hon'ble SC's orders (sic)," the Chief Minister tweeted on Friday.

Kejriwal along with his deputy Manish Sisodia met Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal after the apex court's verdict on Wednesday.

The LG did not agree on handing over the services department to the Delhi government even though Baijal assured him of his "continued support and cooperation in the interest of good governance and development of the national Capital".

The Chief Minister said that during the meeting Baijal cited a 2015 Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notification that had placed services under the domain of the LG.

However, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party has stressed that the recent SC judgment had made the notification "infructuous" and that the necessity of a division bench quashing it was a mere "technicality".

Regarding the services department and the CM's statement, the MHA observed, "It would be against the law to take a final view on the matter related to services which are still pending before the regular Bench. This is also in accordance with the Proviso to Article 145(3) of the Constitution."

Putting an end to the power tussle in the national capital, the five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra had ruled that the Delhi government does not need the concurrence of the Lieutenant Governor for its decisions but has to only keep him posted.

The LG should not act as an "adversary having a hostile attitude" towards the government but act as a facilitator," the order said.

"The LG and the council of ministers must attempt to settle any point of difference by way of discussion and dialogue," it added.

Hours after the Supreme Court's landmark judgement earlier this week, the Delhi government introduced a new system for transfer and postings of bureaucrats, making the Chief Minister the approving authority.

However, the services department refused to comply, saying the Supreme Court did not abolish the notification issued in 2015 which made the MHA the authority for transfers and postings.